


Tsubasa to Tamriel

by celebrianofimladris



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Go tell him "thank you", I WILL make this work, M/M, The Tsubasa Family in Tamriel, completeoveranalysis on tumblr is to blame, tags will be updated as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 20:32:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11790927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celebrianofimladris/pseuds/celebrianofimladris
Summary: The Tsubasa gang finds themselves in Skyrim. To make matters worse, they've gotten split up. Skyrim is an unforgiving place, full of thieves, warriors, giants, vampires, assassins, werewolves, and did anyone mention the dragons?How will our fateful protagonists fare in this war-torn world of chaos and conflict?TRC spoilers through Outo/Edonis





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> As I said in the tags, this was inspired by completeoveranalysis on Tumblr. He's doing a liveblog, still ongoing, of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, so drop by and say hi to him! If you do, please remember not to spoil anything for him.
> 
> Speaking of spoilers, consider this your blanket spoiler warning for Skyrim. This fic may contain spoilers for the main questline, faction questlines, and/or DLC.

Kurogane saw the snowy ground rushing up towards him and curled into a ball, shielding his head with his arms. Branches lashed out at him as he sped downwards, hitting the ground hard and fast. Just as he began to uncurl, a hard _thump_ sounded as something slammed into him. He didn’t have to look to know what, or rather, who, it was.

“Damn mage,” he growled, straightening up as Fai slid off him. He looked around, feeling something amiss. “Wait - where are the kid and the princess?”

Fai stared at him cluelessly. A strange, rhythmic flow of words flowed from his mouth, ending in an exaggerated shrug and one of his sickening fake smiles. Well. Wherever they were, Mokona wasn’t nearby. Hopefully she was with Syaoran and Sakura, and with any luck the three of them had landed together.

He pushed away the pang of concern that had bubbled up from his chest. Syaoran could take care of himself, and Sakura, in spite of her frequent bouts of unconsciousness, was not the wilting flower that the kid believed her to be. She had just as much steel to her spine as Syaoran did, and even if she lacked his brawn she was still just as clever. If they had landed into trouble, they would find a way out. 

Kurogane grabbed the mage’s arm and pointed. Off in the distance, a large campfire was visible. The mage pulled back, giving Kurogane a strained smile and said something ending in Kuro-pii. If he had to guess, the mage was protesting being manhandled. No matter, this was important. He gestured toward the light again, and this time, Fai followed it. The mage lifted his free hand and gestured between them, made a walking motion with his fingers, and pointed to the light, ending with an inquisitive head tilt. Kurogane nodded, releasing Fai’s arm as he began to walk forward, pulling his cloak around him. 

Stopping just outside the camp, Kurogane crouched down, peering through the trees. Behind him, Fai followed suit, slowly moving to find his own vantage point. Surrounding the fire he had seen before was a small cluster of fur tents, most only holding a single bedroll. Two larger tents were set to either side, with the stench of blood and fear emanating from one of them and the other with a blue banner bearing a wolf’s head, clearly the captain’s tent. Men and women clad in leather-covered chainmail milled around inside, all wearing an identical wide blue sash across their chest and backs. Military, in uniform. Kurogane turned towards the mage, relieved to see from his head shake that he had come to the same conclusion. Suddenly, the blonde stiffened, turning to look behind him. 

Kurogane stretched his senses, and his stomach sank as he felt the presence of at least two dozen more people, surrounding the camp. If this was indeed a military camp, then they had arrived just in time to get caught in their enemy’s ambush. Kurogane cursed silently. He had been so focused on the kids and the manju bun, as well as getting out of this blasted cold, that he had let himself get surrounded. He sent a silent prayer to the heavens that word of this never reached Souma, though in order for that to happen he would have to keep her from ever meeting the blond idiot. He slowly drew Souhi while slowing his breath, moving silently deeper into the shadows. If there was going to be a fight here, he wanted to stay out of it for now. The two of them knew nothing of this world or why the battle was happening. He simply had to hope that the mage got the idea. 

As Kurogane looked over, he saw Fai slip into the shadow of a snowdrift, with the mage’s fluffy cloak almost causing him to disappear. Had Kurogane not spent his life learning what to look for, he could have easily lost sight of the other man completely. He took his eyes off of Fai and instead set them to the woods behind him and waited. What felt like a small eternity could only have been a few minutes as soldiers finally poured out of the trees, in vastly different armor from the small camp ahead of them. These soldiers wore leather as well, but theirs had layered strips of it around the thighs rather than a long chainmail tunic, allowing for easier movement.

The ambushers (who Kurogane could now see sported a diamond-shaped dragon on their equipment) were clearly winning, though the blue-clad soldiers were putting up a strong fight. While the dragon soldiers could move more swiftly, the chainmail that the blue soldiers wore did its job well, keeping them up and fighting. Arrows began to zip through the trees, striking down the blue clad soldiers as they found their way to chests and necks. The blue soldiers were fighting desperately and mercilessly, crowding in front of the captain’s tent. The flaps flew open as a tall man in fine furs and leathers stepped out, wielding an axe in one hand. He flew forward, slashing at the dragon soldiers as they clustered around him. 

The man drew in a lungful of air and shouted  
  
**“FUS... RO DAH!”**  
  
The soldiers in front of him, blue and dragon-clad alike, went flying back. In his place in the shadows, Kurogane was not spared either. He slammed bodily into a tree, and dazed, pushed himself back to his knees. Before he could regain his feet, another blast sent him flying, this time into a group of bodies. As he disentangled himself from the woman he had landed with, he noticed her armor. More steel than leather, but clearly she was part of the dragon soldiers. She gave him a confused look, and what was clearly a question came from her lips. 

“Sorry,” Kurogane growled, “I can’t understand you.” 

The woman blinked in confusion, looking shocked. After an awkward moment of silence between the two, a young man came forward, pulling Fai with him by the arm. The mage looked amused, and as the young man began to speak to the woman, who Kurogane could now tell was the captain. As the conversation went on, Fai’s face slowly turned concerned, then horrified. He angrily interjected, sounding outraged. Kurogane had no idea what the mage had said, but the woman glared at him, seeming annoyed but still confused. The two of them began to argue, and Kurogane didn't need Mokona here to know that she wasn’t letting them leave. A few dragon-clad soldiers walked past, slowing down as they did so to stare curiously at the strangers in their otherworldly garb. As more of them went by, Kurogane saw a few of them escorting tied-up blue soldiers. 

Finally, the captain seemed to have reached a decision. She turned to one of her soldiers and issued an order as Fai snugly crossed his arms, seeming satisfied. Kurogane heard a sick crack and his head began to throb. The last thing he saw before the world went black was Fai’s horrified face. The last thing he thought was _“I’m going to kill that damned mage”_


	2. The Adventure Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The opening sequence of the game, which you all have memorized now, with a delicious twist; Kurogane's biceps in that sleeveless tunic!

Kurogane opened his eyes and blinked blearily as his vision slowly swam into focus. His head was throbbing, he had a killer crick in his neck, and even his tailbone felt sore. As he turned his head slightly, a fresh spike of pain pushed through behind his eyes and at the crown of his skull. Right. That bitch in the red armor had had one of her minions knock him out. He licked his lips, grimacing at the coppery taste as his tongue found cracks and tender, fresh wounds. Moving slower this time, he carefully looked around him. 

His armor was gone. And his sword. Damn and double damn. His hands were bound, not with rope, but with some type of sturdy cloth. A simple double knot, but with a tighter knot than rope would allow for. Still manageable, but it would slow him down. He was on a wooden cart, pulled by a single horse. One soldier steering, another following behind. Fai was next to him, pressed close enough for him to feel the other man’s body heat. Across from him sat two men, one dark-haired, in the same scratchy tunic Kurogane himself wore. The other was in the blue armor that the losing side in the ambush had worn. He looked up, making eye contact with Kurogane. A string of gibberish left his mouth. 

Kurogane raised an eyebrow at him, and a sardonic laugh came from beside him. Glancing over, he saw Fai slump backward, leaning heavily against the rough-hewn planks of the cart. He replied to the blond soldier, and Kurogane felt a brief bolt of shock pass through him. Fai’s words were still lost to him, but the tone was not. His voice was slightly deeper than normal, his eyes sad, and he sounded _heartbroken_. The mage (which he was, no matter how he tried to deny it) was being honest for once, and Kurogane had no goddamned idea what he had said. 

While Fai continued speaking with the two men across from them, Kurogane focused on the man next to Fai. The mountain of a man he had seen before, the one who had sent him flying by simply yelling. He was also bound, but their captors had also gagged him. Kurogane couldn’t help but feel grateful for that. He turned his attention back ahead, and saw stone walls growing larger as the caravan of prisoners slowly drew closer. 

Four carts. Over there, a well-dressed older man. Mounted on a warhorse, he wore high-quality armor that had been polished to a blinding shine. His cuirass bore the same diamond-shaped dragon crest as the soldiers escorting the caravan. Older, yes, but clearly high-ranking. A general ,then. Therefore, still capable, still deadly, and very intelligent. And beside him… A woman? Clearly. Shoulder-length hair, in a darker shade than Fai’s, was tucked behind her pointed ears. Her skin was a pale golden color, and she was slightly taller than the man she was speaking with.

The cart stopped. The dark-haired man in front of Kurogane half-shouted what was clearly a panicked question, and Fai let out a bark of a laugh as the blue-clad blond responded. Dear god, these idiots had been talking the whole time. He doubted they had even noticed the archers lined up in front of the houses. Glancing at Fai, he reassessed that statement. The blond might still be slouching, and he certainly seemed to be accepting his fate, but Kurogane could see his eyes darting around from under half-hooded lids. Good. He hadn’t given up. The two of them stood, Fai stepping off the cart ahead of him. 

There, right in front of him, was her. The dragon-crest soldier from before who had had her soldier knock him out. He fought down the urge to hit her, just as the man beside her spoke, reading from a roll of paper in his hand. The man with the gag stepped forward, and then off to the side. Then the blue-clad blond. The dark-haired man was next, and Kurogane rolled his eyes as he ran forward in a desperate attempt to escape. The woman barked out an order and the man was riddled with arrows before he had gone twenty feet. The man with the paper looked between Fai and Kurogane, his brow furrowing with confusion. Facing Kurogane, he spoke, with the end of his sentence lifting in inquiry. Thankfully, Fai took a half-step forward, answering for him. 

Kurogane understood exactly four words, and all of them were the names of their little family. And, of course, the goddamned mage called him Kuro-sama. From the Fai’s body language and tone, he was attempting to get information about Syaoran and Sakura. Clever. Even if they failed to provide it, Fai was skilled enough with lying to know if the soldiers were holding back. The man with the paper turned to his captain, speaking, but she cut him off with a curt response and a sharp jerk of her hand. The man’s body language was submissive enough, but the displeasure was evident in his voice as he responded to her. He turned to Fai and spoke again, sounding apologetic. Fai nodded, shoulders slumping as he turned and followed the other prisoners. With no other options, Kurogane followed. 

The general was giving some kind of speech, addressed directly to the gagged man who had been on the cart. He kept it short and sweet, moving away as a woman in robes stepped forward and raised her hands, speaking to the crowd and the sky. A priestess of some sort, most likely. Kurogane’s eyes were not on the priestess, however. They were on the executioner, standing beside the chopping block. The woman who Fai had spoken with walked forward, standing near the foreboding block. The priestess’s speech was abruptly cut off as one of the blue-clad soldiers stepped forward, making one final, snarky remark to the assembled group before he was cleanly beheaded in a single swing. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Kurogane had known this was coming, but there was no way out and going forward was not an option. He could fight his way out, but not while unarmed, and the soldiers were clearly well-trained, carefully watching the prisoners. They would have a dozen arrows in him before he got his bindings off. 

The woman pointed to Fai and shouted, and Kurogane felt his heart sink into his stomach as fai slowly walked forward, kneeling in front of the block. The woman, the _bitch_ planted her foot firmly on Fai’s back, pushing him forward until his head was laid flat on the block. Kurogane felt his blood turn to ice, his heart pounding, his blood rushing in his ears as he prayed to anyone who would listen for Fai to get up, to fight, to do _something_ , anything but the axe was rising and he was just laying there and that bitch still had her foot on his back and _I can’t even see his face, does he even care that he’s about to die_ \---

The sky went black. The world shook. The air screamed. But most importantly, the executioner fell. He fell backwards, away from Fai. Fai, who was now pushing himself up, stating in shock at the sky. Kurogane looked up too, and found himself locking eyes with a dragon. 

It was massive, its black scaly body half-curled to fit on top of the round watchtower it was perched on. Its head was larger than Kurogane’s entire body and, as it opened it's mouth, he could see that its teeth were larger than his forearms. Kurogane tensed, preparing to run, when a deafening boom filled the air and he was knocked onto his back. The sky was filled with smoke, and in the gaps between, it was a sickening red. Raining down was.. Hail? No, that was fire. Kurogane rolled out of the way as huge fireball landed next to him. Rocks. Okay, it was raining rocks, and those rocks were on fire. The dragon was taking off from the watchtower, swooping overhead as it breathed fire down onto soldiers and civilians indiscriminately. The entire city was pure chaos, and he could hear the general shouting orders, still firm and effective despite the evidence of panic in his voice. He wasn’t sure which deity had answered his desperate prayer, but he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity. If the soldiers had any common sense, they’d be saving the civilians and fighting the dragon, not focusing on the prisoners. 

He scrambled to his feet and ran towards Fai, who was being helped to his feet by the talkative blond buy from the cart. The man clapped Fai’s shoulder and started sprinting towards the now dragon-free watchtower. Fai stood still, looking around in shock and horror until he spotted Kurogane. The mage waited until Kurogane had closed the distance between them and jerked his head towards the watchtower, finally running for cover. Kurogane wanted to smack him. It was _raining flaming rocks_ , there was a goddamned _dragon_ attacking, and the idiot had just been _standing_ there. 

They made it inside, and Kurogane saw the huge gagged man standing there, without the gag. Fai nudged Kurogane, and then raised his bound hands, gesturing towards the burly man. 

“Ulfric Stormcloak.” Fai stared at Kurogane, waiting. After a moment, he understood. The man’s name, Fai could understand this world’s language, and he had heard someone mention it. Kurogane nodded, and Fai rewarded him with a soft, real smile before turning to the man who had led them inside. 

“Ralof.” The man turned towards them, and Fai asked a question. The man responded, and took off up the stairs, Fai following after him and Kurogane just behind. Before they hit the landing, the dragon’s gargantuan head broke through the stone wall and let loose a stream of fire. Ralof jumped back, missing the bulk of the stream by mere feet. Kurogane could see the blue linen smoking over his leather armor. As the dragon took off again, Ralof moved forward, stepping around the flaming remnants of a table. 

He shouted something to Fai who nodded and stepped over to the hole in the wall, took a deep breath, and jumped. Kurogane moved forward warily. Fai stood below, in the smoldering remnants of a building, having jumped through a burned-out area of the thatched roof. Kurogane jumped down, and the pair took off, tearing down the stairs and out the door. 

The young man who had been reading from the paper spotted them as they emerged. He beckoned to them, and the two began to run over as the dragon landed in the middle of the street. The pair barely made it behind an already a battered building before the dragon let loose another torrent of flames, taking off again immediately. Kurogane heard a whimper in front of him, and noticed a young boy and a man in shabby clothes behind the soldier. The soldier turned towards the boy, who was curled in a tight ball, and his voice was kind and soothing as he comforted the child. He turned back to Kurogane and Fai, beckoning again for them to follow as he began to run. 

More shouting. More running. They had finally reached what appeared to be the castle of the city, when Ralof and a few more blue-clad soldiers emerged from the left. The kindhearted soldier and Ralof argued, while Kurogane wished he could understand this world’s language. Finally, Ralof ran to one door, and the kind dragon-crested soldier to the other. Both of them were staring at Kurogane and Fai expectantly. The two looked at each other, and Kurogane moved towards Ralof. The soldier had been kind to them, and to the child, but Fai had nearly been killed by the dragon-crested soldiers, and Kurogane knew that he would have been next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a diehard Imperial myself, but I couldn't justify having Kurogane leave with Hadvar after that heartbreaking near-execution. Sorry!


	3. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So we finally made it to Riverwood, and Kurogane still can't understand a single word. Syaoran and Skaura are still missing. What now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried my best to explain how a single person could carry a shit-ton of weapons, armor, potions, and miscellaneous other shit with only the little pouch the game has on your character's belt. What do you think?

The escape was chaos. Kurogane and Fai had followed Ralof into the keep, and were now hacking and slashing their way through the dragon-crested soldiers. Kurogane had looted a sword from one of the fallen men, and Fai was proving to be surprisingly dangerous with only a dagger. The groups had been small, but they had been trained well. As the three of them stepped into what was clearly a torture chamber, Ralof seemed to take immense pleasure in killing the torturer and his assistant, with the help of a woman who had already been fighting when they arrived. The woman briefly spoke to Ralof, who walked over to a cage and peered inside. He briefly spoke to Fai, handing him a few thin strips of metal, and the mage knelt down, picking at the lock. After a few moments, the door swung open and Fai grabbed the book and the gold coins, hesitating only briefly before stripping the limp body of its robes and hood. Removing the pouch from the belt of the robes, he tied it around his own waist, opening it to drop the lockpicks and gold inside. Kurogane watched the blue eyes widen in shock as the mage stared into the pouch. Curiosity rising, he wandered over to see what had surprised the other man. 

The bag had no bottom. From the outside, it was small and compact, only able to contain a few items, but Kurogane watched in shock as Fai shoved the hood and robes inside, and then the dark gray book with the flaming hand. The pouch didn’t bulge out, or even seem to contain anything. Kurogane reached out, testing the weight. Despite feeling only thin leather on his hand, the small satchel was much heavier. Behind them, Ralof laughed. Fai turned, giving some form of inquiry, and Kurogane stared. The mage seemed enthralled, eyes lit with wonder and curiosity. Once again, Fai was being open and genuine, and Kurogane didn’t understand a word of it. The two blond men had a brief conversation before moving on, Fai falling in being Ralof. 

The three men continued on, fighting their way through more of the dragon-crested soldiers (“Imperials”, Fai had said, pointing to a corpse). Fai was shoving weapons, and several bottles of wine, into his bag, grinning all the while. Stopping next to a table, he lifted a red bottle and examined it. Ralof glanced over, spoke, and Fai dropped it into his satchel. Raiding several drawers and barrels, the mage dropped a few more red bottles, a purple bottle, and a green bottle in as well. Kurogane wished more than ever that he could ask what the hell they were. 

Further in, the structure began to give way to a cave system. Following a tunnel, which must have been carved out by some long since dried-up river, Kurogane found himself grabbing the two men in front of him. Ralof jumped in surprise, and Fai turn to him with a look if confusion. Kurogane pointed to his eyes with two fingers and then straight ahead, and Fai followed the gesture. There, ahead of them, were three giant spiders. Fai dropped to a crouch, and Kurogane drew his sword. Fai held a hand up, stopping Kurogane from charging in, and pulled a bow and quiver from his bag. Taking aim, he killed one spider in two shots and had hit a second before the arachnids had found the source. Two more of the creatures dropped from the ceiling, and Kurogane ran into the fray, followed by Ralof. Kurogane swung at one of the spiders, slicing it cleanly in two. Another scurried back as he charged forward, and he felt his strength leaving him as he was sprayed with venom. Fighting down pain and nausea, he stabbed straight down into the spider’s head. 

Turning back to the center of the room, Kurogane saw Ralof pulling his sword from the body of the last spider. Fai ran over, digging into his satchel and holding out one of the red bottles to Kurogane. He pulled to cork out, sniffing suspiciously. Fai sighed, then made a drinking motion with his hand. Sending up a silent prayer, Kurogane drank. 

Strange. That was the only word he could use to describe it. It tasted like someone had poured a splash of beer into Tomoyo’s herbal tea. It wasn’t bad, though it wasn’t something he would choose for himself. He felt a rush of energy pour through him, more powerful than the coffee he had drank in Hanshin. As he held the empty bottle out to the mage, he saw the angry red acid burns fading from his arms. Glancing up in surprise, he saw a happy, genuine smile on Fai’s face, which seamlessly changed to smug as he took the empty bottle back and dropped it into his bag. 

Stunned, Kurogane followed the other men. After carefully sneaking around a sleeping bear, they followed Ralof out into the open air just as the dragon flew past overhead. Fai had a short conversation with Ralof, and Ralof jogged down the road. Fai turned to the right, beckoning to Kurogane. The two of them walked for a few minutes, before stopping at the giant gates. The gates to the ruined city. 

“Helgen,” Fai said somberly. Kurogane glared at him. Why the hell would Fai come back here? He doubted that there was anyone left alive. Fai gestured to the gate, and mimed pushing. Rolling his eyes, Kurogane dug his toes into the ground and shoved his shoulder against the gate, forcing it open. Inside, little was left. Everything that wasn’t stone had been set ablaze, with a few stubborn corners and support beams still poking out of the smoldering embers. The air was thick with smoke, causing his eyes to water and acratching at his lungs. Crouching down helped, but the stench of burnt flesh was enough to make him want to gag. Fai slipped inside ahead of him, holding a cloth against his face. 

Carefully stepping around piles of rubble, the two of them walked through the streets until they reached the remains of the prisoner wagons. Fai bypassed the one they had arrived on, glancing into each one until he found one with two large chests. Pulling the lockpicks from his bag, he set to work, snapping two of the thin picks before the chest swung open. Glancing inside, he smirked. 

The mage pushed the chest off of the wagon, and the contents spilled everywhere. Among the various weapons, clothing, and liquor bottles was -

“Souhi!” Kurogane exclaimed. And there, his helmet. His curiass had landed beneath a shield when Fai had pushed the chest. Digging through the rubble, he found most of his armor and Fai’s gloves. Fai was already digging through the second chest by the time Kurogane had gathered their belongings. Once the two of them had redressed, Fai held a satchel out to Kurogane. He frowned for a moment, considering. It looked decent on the mage, but it was somewhat tacky. However, he couldn't deny the usefulness of it, especially since he would be able to carry more weight than Fai. Reaching out, he took it, securing it to his belt while silently resolving to find a way to dye the leather black as soon as possible.

The two of them left the smoldering remains of the city, and Kurogane followed Fai down the road until they reached three stone pillars. Each had a carving of a man, the center clad in robes and holding a staff, the left carrying a dagger and a bag with a hood over his face, and the right with a shield and an axe clad in armor. Kurogane stepped toward the final one, touching it in curiosity. To his shock, the carving lit up as a beam of white light fired into the sky. He felt a brief gust of warmth surround him, and the light slowly faded as he turned to look at Fai. The blue eyes were wide with shock, and the mage carefully looked between the three pillars before touching the left one. Once again, the light fired into the sky. Fai’s cloak rippled slightly, and the light faded. The mage let out a small laugh, beckoning to Kurogane as he hopped away from the pillars and took off down the road. Kurogane fought down the urge to unsheathe Souhi. 

 

A short time and a few wolves later, there was a town ahead of them. Passing beneath the archway, Fai looked around and walked left towards a lumbermill. There in front of them was another pointed-ear person, but this one was much shorter and clearly male. Instead of golden, his skin was light brown, and his eyes were completely black, even the sclera. Kurogane found it somewhat unnerving, but he seemed rather pleasant as he answered whatever question Fai asked him. Noticing Kurogane, the man’s brow furrowed in confusion, and he asked a question. Fai gave a cheerful laugh, waving his hand and answering as he pulled Kurogane away. As they moved around behind the mill, they saw a woman a few yards away. Sitting on a stump in front of her was Ralof. 

“Gerdur,” Fai said, featuring towards her. Kurogane nodded. Ralof had clearly told Fai where to go and who to talk to. The two of them approached, and after a rather lengthy conversation that Kurogane didn’t understand, Gerdur’s husband, Hod, led them and Ralof back to his house. Fai sat on the double bed, taking his boots off, and Kurogane took the hint. Joining him, he fell asleep almost instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to leave you with a choice. Will the next chapter be about Kurogane and Fai, or shall I make the next chapter about Syaoran and Sakura? 
> 
> Vote now in the comments!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about how long it took to update this. I know what I want Sakura to do, but I couldn't seem to get it to kick off properly no matter how many times I re-wrote this chapter. So I decided to just post the version that gave me the most freedom to iron out my snags for the next segment.

Sakura woke slowly, blinking the sun out of her eyes as she sat up. Leaves crunched beneath her, and stretching ahead of her, more fallen leaves disappeared into the trees of a forest. The red and orange tone of the leaves gave off a visually warm atmosphere, but her breath was shooting up in short, desperate puffs as she pulled her cloak around her. 

“Sakura-chan! You’re awake! Mokona was worried!”

Sakura glanced around, spotting her companion behind her. Mokona was sitting at the base of a tall stone wall, which extended to either side farther than Sakura could see. She pulled one hand from her cloak and reached down, picking Mokona up with a smile. The tiny creature hopped up to her shoulder and burrowed into her cloak. 

“I’m fine, Mokona. Where are the others? Usually Syaoran-kun is here, at least…” Sakura trailed off, looking at Mokona in despair. Mokona’s eyes were tearing up as she pulled at her ears.

“They’re not here. Mokona landed with you, and they landed here, but not _here_. They're in this world, but Mokona doesn't know where.”

Sakura wrapped a hand around Mokona, pulling her into a gentle hug. “They’re looking for us, I know it. Don’t worry. And we’ll look for them, too.”

She straighter up determinedly, and began to walk, following the stone wall. Soon enough, a few wooden guard towers came into view, and as she rounded the corner, she saw two guards flanking what was clearly a door. A stone’s throw away, there were stables. Good, she’d found a city. Strengthening her resolve, she started forward again, only to be immediately stopped. 

“Hold. Before I let you into the city, you need to pay the visitors’ tax.”

Sakura stared in confusion. A visitors’ tax? Of all the worlds she’d been to, she hadn’t heard of that before.

“What’s the tax for?” She asked. 

“For the privilege of entering the city. What does it matter?” The guard snapped back. His tone was cocky, but something about his body language was off. Sakura looked him over carefully, wishing she could see his face, but the closed helmet gave nothing away. Taking a breath, Sakura stood up as straight as she could and pinned the guard with what she hoped was an intimidating stare. 

“This is obviously a shakedown.”

“All right, keep your voice down,” the guard said, making hushing noises with his hand. “You want everyone to hear you? I’ll let you in, just let me unlock the gate.”

Sakura scurried into the city, unable to believe that it had worked. Glancing around, her euphoria faded fast. On either side of her, wooden buildings rose two stories high. The building on the left had balconies jutting overhead, and the one on the right had crates pushed up against the wall. The walkway was broad, but Sakura couldn’t help but feel incredibly claustrophobic. 

Sakura passed by a fierce-looking woman, who was thankfully too engrossed in a conversation to notice her, but unfortunately that didn’t hold true for the next armor-clad individual she saw.

“I don’t know you,” he growled, staring her down. He was intimidatingly tall, even when leaning against a pole. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his beard didn’t quite hide the scars on his face. “You in Riften looking for trouble?”

Sakura swallowed, desperately wishing that Kurogane was there with her. “Just passing through,” she said, hoping her voice sounded less shaky than she felt. 

“Yeah?” the man said, “Well, I got news for you; there's nothing to see here. Last thing the Black-Briars need is some stranger stickin' their nose where it doesn't belong."

Sakura tried to remember how Fai acted when fishing for information. She tilted her head curiously and put on a small smile, trying to look as innocent and non-threatening as possible. 

“The Black-Briars? Sorry, I’m not from around here. You already noticed that, though.”

The man started dismissively. "Let me guess, Cyrodiil? Maybe High Rock? Doesn’t matter. Point is, the Black-Briars have Riften in their pocket and the Thieves Guild watchin' their back, so keep your nose out of their business. Me? I'm Maul. I watch the streets for 'em. If you need dirt on anythin', I'm your guy... but it'll cost you."

Sakura nodded. “I think that’s all I needed for now. I’ll just… stay out of your way.”

Maul straightened up from the pole, uncrossing his arms as he turned to walk away. “Suit yourself, I’ll be at the docks if you change your mind.”

As soon as he was gone, Sakura let out a sigh of relief. She glanced ahead, pausing for a moment at the split path. On the left seemed like a church, the right led to a house that looked abandoned, but the one in front seemed to lead to a tavern and a marketplace. She forged ahead, crossing a bridge over the canal and ignoring the woman in armor having a conversation. Not the same one from before, she noticed. Apparently that was just a normal thing on this world.

Sakura walked around the bar, looking at the marketplace. People dressed in everything from rags to robes to armor milled about, light glinted off of jewelry and armor, the smell of hot metal filled the air, as well as honey and stew, voices clamored over each other, yelling about craftsmanship, and armor, and fruits and - 

“Running a little light in the pockets, lass?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd say sorry for the cliffhanger, but I've been told that lying is bad.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *shows up to the fanfic fifteen minutes late with a Dunkin cup* *takes a sip* Problem?

Syaoran felt his head throbbing as he pulled himself up. A bitter, acrid stench filled his nostrils as his eyes strained to take in something, anything. He rubbed his hands together to brush off the accumulated dirt, noticing that the texture felt… wrong. The clouds parted, allowing a watery sliver of starlight to illuminate his soiled hands, and he saw why. Ash. The stench of sulfur and burning wood. The darkness. The clouds weren't clouds.

“Princess, stay close to me.” Syaoran turned to see if she had heard him, to check if Kurogane could see any better in this near-blackness, and nothing. 

“Princess? Kurogane-san? Are you there? Mokona? Fai-san?” Syaoran whipped around frantically. No. He couldn't be alone here. _Sakura_ couldn't be alone here. _Let her have landed with the others. Or at least with Kurogane-san. He’ll protect her._ Syaoran closed his eyes with that silent prayer, taking a long, slow breath in through his nose. Reaching out with his other senses, he felt life. It was fairly strong, but felt a fair distance away. A group, it seemed, but larger than his missing entourage. Lacking options, he began to walk.

As his eyes settled into the dimness of his surroundings, he began to make out some details. The giant mushrooms, for one. They were growing smaller, as he apparently was moving away from their source, but when he looked back it appeared that they were sprouting from one that was nearly as tall as the ruins of Clow. The darkness was certainly partially due to the smoke, but he saw no evidence of a fire. At least, not an _active_ one. He passed many burned-out husks of trees and other greenery, some of which was still clinging pathetically to its dying embers. The source of the smoke was an immense volcano, but a large body of water separated the goliath of doom from him. The boy began to walk up a steep hill, slipping repeatedly in the soft ash, and a green glow began to form over the crest. 

A gentle, rhythmic chanting floated to his ears as he ascended. He couldn't make out the words, but it sent a shiver down his spine. As his head poked over the top, he saw a strange stone obelisk encased in a shimmery green light. Whether the light was truly encasing the obelisk or whether the light came from within, he could not say. Around the finger of stone, men and women were toiling away. Every face was vacant, and they seemed to be taking it in turns to say different lines of that chilling chant. They had the strangest appearance, with skin in varying shades of gray, some even displaying what seemed to be a deep, reddish-brown, but they were all bathed in that sickly green light. Pickaxes and chisels were weiled by every individual, all of whom were shaping sweeping stone arches around the obelisk, yet none were dressed as Syaoran would expect of masons or miners. Leathers and furs were sported by all, but it was all of poor quality and ill cared for, not at all the trappings of wealth or luxury. Many of them had swords, or axes at their waist or along their back, even a few bows with splintering wood.

One man, however, stood apart from the others. He was richly dressed in fine linen, accented with high-quality leather. The green tones that washed over every detail made it impossible to tell the exact color, but his clothes had clearly been dyed an obnoxiously bright color. No tool was in his hands, and he seemed to be the only one with any clarity or awareness in his face. He seemed relaxed, staring at the workers with a mildly intrigued expression. Syaoran began to slowly back away, fear filling his chest. Who _were_ those people? What was that man doing to them? Could he help them? And what was that _thing_ that they had been building around? 

Lost in his thoughts, he felt his foot catch on something. He slipped, throwing himself forward and digging his fingers into the soil to stop himself from sliding the entire way down the hill. A sharp _crack_ showed him what he had fallen over; a half burnt branch. Pushing himself back to his feet, Syaoran heard another noise. A loud, metallic _**shink**_. Turning, he saw the well-dressed man, now with a strange blue glow covering every inch him from his bald head to his shoes, and even his fingers, which were now cracking with small bursts of purple lightning.


End file.
